General Education UMKCs Strategic Plan 2010-2020 2020 www.umkc.ed - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

UMKC’s Strategic Plan

2010-2020 2020

www.umkc.ed .umkc.edu/strat u/strategicplan egicplan

General Education

• Is intended to impart common knowledge and

intellectual concepts to students and to develop in them the skills and attitudes that an

• rganization’s faculty believe every educated

person should possess. (Higher Learning Commission, 2003)

• Prepares students for the challenges of the 21st

century

What is General Education?

• No common gen ed program
• Ranges from 12 to 68 hours
• Only 2 common courses
• English composition
• State requirement -- federal/state

constitution course

• Missouri 42 hour block

Current UMKC General Education

General Education curriculum will:

• Ease transfer from other institutions
• Simplify change of major
• Tie curriculum to UMKC’s mission
• Align with state and national guidelines
• Define student learning goals

The Need for General Education Reform

• 1. Identify learning outcomes for Gen Ed program

2. Map these outcomes to courses/experiences

• 3. Align program curricula as needed
• 4. Identify approaches to assess achievement of learning
• utcomes
• 5. Document student achievement of learning outcomes
• 6. Analyze samples of student work to identify

programmatic weaknesses

Higher Learning Commission Requirements

• 7. Analyze student feedback to identify any

programmatic weaknesses

• 8. Document programmatic reaction to any identified

weaknesses

• 9. Explain programmatic modifications to address

problems

• 10. Analyze effects of programmatic modifications

Higher Learning Commission Requirements

• September 2009 – Carol Geary Schneider visit
• October 2009 – General Education Advisory

Task Force convened

• May 2010 – Task force guiding principles and

report

General Education Advisory Task Force Establishment

Jolene Lynn – School of Nursing Marilyn Taylor – Bloch School

• f Business and Public

Administration Linda Garavalia – School of Pharmacy Julie Cheslik – School of Law Paul Cuddy – School of Medicine Laura Gayle Green – Libraries Kim Bray – School of Dentistry

General Education Advisory Task Force Committee Membership

Cheryl Grossman – School of Education Tim Timmons – Conservatory of Music and Dance Deborah O’Bannon – School of Computing and Engineering Lynda Plamann – School of Biological Sciences Wayne Vaught – College of Arts and Sciences Cindy Pemberton – Provost Office

• Examined contemporary issues in Gen Ed
• Reviewed national perspectives
• Reviewed MO entrance and exit competencies
• Explored best practices
• Student success and student retention focused
• Includes a student learning assessment

component

• Ongoing review and revision cycle

Task Force Charge and Work

• Conducted focus groups with faculty, staff and

students from various academic units

• Researched national peer institutions
• Met with faculty from University of Nebraska

Task Force Charge and Work

• Measurable student learning outcomes
• Clearly articulated outcomes to students
• Helps students integrate learning
• Shared by all undergraduate programs
• Easy to understand by faculty, staff, and

students

Guiding Principles for Reform

• Should facilitate advising for all undergraduate

students

• Enhance the unique undergraduate experience

available in our urban setting

• Include continuous review to reflect the

changing culture and needs of our community

• Harmonious with academic program

accreditation requirements

Guiding Principles for Reform

Assoc of American Colleges and Universities

• Provides curricular and assessment support for

institutions

• Has worked intensively on gen educ reform since

early 1980s.

• Initiatives to ensure relevant Gen Ed

curriculum.

• Work with campuses to strengthen Gen Ed

programs or to reform specific aspects

AAC&U General Education Institute

Team

• Linda Garavalia
• Cindy Pemberton
• Lynda Plamann
• Tom Stroik
• Appie van de Liefvoort
• Wayne Vaught

Assignment

• June 2010 summer institute
• To review common

approaches and best practices for revising general education

• Make recommendations

regarding how to proceed at UMKC.

Common Approaches to Gen Ed

Traditional

• 1. Many courses from many

disciplines

• 2. Courses taken in any

sequence and at any time

• 3. General education program

focused only on academic experiences gained inside the classroom or laboratory Reformed

• 1. A limited number of

carefully constructed courses

• 2. Developmental models

where courses have prerequisite dependencies

• 3. Focus on the complete

undergraduate experience (curricular and co- curricular)

Key Findings from AAC&U summer institute

The conference team affirmed the previous guiding principles of the General Education Advisory Task Force and offered the following additions:

Key Findings from AAC&U summer institute

• A. Gen Ed is based on measurable student learning
• utcomes and should be reflective of the LEAP
• utcomes (AAC&U)
• B. Reflects our unique university mission
• C. Addresses the needs of our student population and

facilitates students success (timely degree completion and student retention)

Key Findings from AAC&U summer institute

• D. Models intentionality
• students understand the purpose and connection

to their major and to life/career goals

• E. Requires students to have at least one high impact

learning experience as part of their gen ed (study abroad, undergraduate research, service learning, internship)

• F. Is a mixed model design

Next Steps

Communicate with all stakeholders about the need for general education revision Commission a General Education Oversight Committee charged with: reviewing and making recommendations regarding UMKC general education program (including an assessment plan) for UMKC that not only will bring it in compliance with HLC expectations but also will be a signature UMKC program that emphasizes student success and builds on faculty expertise and that strengthens UMKC’s degree programs and supports UMKC’s Mission.

Tasks of the Gen Ed Oversight Committee

By December 2010

• Identify student learning outcomes

By May 2011

• Design the general education program model and a

comprehensive implementation plan

Important Websites for Faculty

Provost Website  Committees or Initiatives  General Education Advisory Task Force http://www.umkc.edu/provost/committees/ general-education-advisory-task-force/default.asp AAC&U Repository of Additional Resources http://www.aacu.org/resources/generaleducation/index. cfm